Graham Platner returned to campaigning Friday night in Bar Harbor, drawing hundreds of supporters who greeted him with standing ovations and chants of his wife's name, even as three women accused him of toxic and unsettling behavior in past relationships.
The Democratic Senate candidate addressed the turmoil directly, framing the latest allegations as part of a pattern of attacks on his personal journey. "Since the beginning, Maine, you had my back. When hurtful things I said on the Internet a decade ago came out into the public as I shared my personal journey through PTSD and darkness of recovery and accountability and growth, Maine had my back," he told the cheering crowd.
Platner specifically referenced a New York Times article published Thursday detailing the allegations. One woman, Lyndsey Fifield, claimed that during their roughly 2013-2015 relationship, Platner twisted her arm behind her back, shoved her into a bedroom, and held the door closed while telling her to remain there until she was "calm." Platner denied allegations involving physicality, dismissing them as "politically motivated" and "false," noting that Fifield has worked for conservative groups and campaigns.
The former military veteran spoke repeatedly about his recovery from PTSD following military service, saying Maine had "raised" him and "saved" him. When he asked his wife Amy Gertner to stand, supporters erupted in chants of "Amy! Amy" and gave her a standing ovation.
Gertner became a focal point of the scandal last week after the Wall Street Journal reported that Platner had sent sexually explicit text messages to several women during their marriage. A former campaign staffer revealed that Gertner herself had disclosed the texting to the campaign a year ago as a potential liability. Gertner defended her husband publicly, describing the difficulty of their marriage but emphasizing that they had grown stronger together.
Platner did not address reporters after the event but sat for local interviews, including one with Maine Public Radio, where he denied ever being physically threatening. On a Thursday appearance with MSNBC, he disputed specific allegations in the Times piece, insisting that any claim involving physicality was from someone with political motivation.
His campaign seized on the event to announce fundraising momentum, revealing that Platner had raised $200,000 since the Times story broke, calling it his best single day of fundraising since his primary opponent, Gov. Janet Mills, withdrew from the race. The primary election is scheduled for Tuesday.
Platner spent much of his remarks attacking Republican Sen. Susan Collins, his likely general election opponent. He called her moderate image a "charade" and criticized her vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. "She told us that was settled law," Platner said, referring to abortion rights. "She looked him in the eyes, and he told her that he would never do such a thing. Well, either she lied to us or she's a fool. Either way, you shouldn't be a United States senator from the state of Maine."
Supporters at the event expressed determination to back Platner despite the allegations. Janice Low said she wanted to hear from him personally and decided to vote for him after the speech. She criticized what she called the "criminal" war in Iran, arguing that Trump never received congressional approval and that she wanted to oust Collins, who voted with Trump frequently.
Her husband, Galen Low, said he believed Platner had risen above the allegations. "I've grown past feeling that people can't make mistakes and are doomed to things that they've done," he said. "I didn't like hearing some of the things I've heard, but then I recognize that we're people, and as people, sometimes we do things we're not proud of. But that doesn't mean we can't admit it and move on."
State Rep. Gary Friedmann attended the event and praised Platner's speech as "brilliant." He echoed the sentiment that voters should focus on who actually stands up for people, not on past mistakes. "When it comes down to who we're going to cast our ballot for in November, it's going to be the candidate that's really standing up for the people, and we come to realize that that's not what Susan Collins does," Friedmann said.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Platner's playbook is clear: lean hard on supporters who are already with him, keep blaming political enemies for the mess, and pivot relentlessly to Collins. Whether that strategy survives a general election is an entirely different question."
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